


I promise

by harrystylesandstuff



Series: The frozen yogurt series [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bottom Harry, California, Car Sex, Cute, Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Harry's obsessed with frozen yogurts, Love Confessions, M/M, Rich Harry, Rimming, Sex in a Car, Smut, Surfer Liam, Top Louis, True Love, all the love tags basically, it's cute smut, there's still no Zayn because I'm bitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 16:59:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4108285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrystylesandstuff/pseuds/harrystylesandstuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis realizes he can't spend one minute away from Harry and Harry finds out Louis has to. </p><p>It's the second part of the Frozen Yogurt series and it's just filled with cuteness and surprisingly adorable smut and Harry's weird and perfect and Louis is just really in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I promise

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya
> 
> Here's the second part of the Frozen Yogurt series !
> 
> Please tell me what you think :)
> 
> I also have a chaptered fic coming up so stick around !
> 
> Enjoy <3
> 
> Mel
> 
> Playlist:
> 
> One - Ed Sheeran  
> Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap  
> Gracious - Ben Howard  
> Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys  
> Photograph - Ed Sheeran

“I hope there’s Fast and Furious this time !”

 

Calvin and Oli are discussing which movies have more chances to be on the plane and Louis is sitting on a chair between them wondering what will happen when they land.

 

Will the flight make him forget ? Will he still remember in a week ? A month ? A year ?

 

“What movie do you think will be on that plane bro ? You’re always right and we need to bet !” Calvin sounds more excited to find out which movie he’ll be falling asleep in front of than the entire trip, and Louis doesn’t know how long he can stay this calm and listen to his friends bicker about meaningless stuff while he’s dying.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t care.” Louis mutters before getting up and making his way to find Luke, who left to grab some snacks. He’s generally not the kind to get angry and spread a bad mood, but right now all he can do is grunt and think about a million ways to kill his brain without actually having to kill himself.

 

He spots Luke at a small bar, sitting on a stool, probably waiting for his order. Louis is just glad he can see alcohol because he’ll need to be a little drunk to handle the situation. All he has to do is hop on that plane, then he’ll figure out how to survive with all those thoughts.

 

They’ve been there for hours now, just to make sure to not miss the flight, and it’s been killing him. He can’t get the images out of his head, can’t avoid thinking about his smile, his laugh, his voice, his warm hands, the way he looked at him like he’s the most beautiful person in the whole world…

 

“Hey mate ! You okay ?” Luke looks so worried Louis has to check if he’s not crying. He just nods with a fake smile and takes a sit next to his friend before burying his face in his crossed arms on the counter. Luke pats his back and squeezes his neck and it’d normally comfort him, but it somehow makes it worse. All he can feel is the way Harry would stroke his back whenever they sat next to each other, the way he’d play with the hair on his neck instead of just squeezing it.

 

“Here’s your order !” A woman announces and Louis straightens up to order a beer, or three. She eyes him weirdly and checks on Luke as if to make sure he’s not a raging alcoholic about to relapse, because that’s the face he has right now. “I’ll get that for you sweetie.”

 

“Don’t.” Louis spits without even having to look at Luke to know he’s staring at him.

 

“I won’t.” Luke reassures him but Louis knows better than to expect him to stop there. “But…” Louis grunts. “Just because you go back home doesn’t mean you’ll magically forget about him bro. Have you even called him today ?”

 

Louis’ been avoiding talking to him right before taking off. He’s not sure he could handle hearing his voice, picturing him walk in circles and bite the tip of his finger to contain himself from whatever he really wants to say. He doesn’t want to make the separation official, he just can’t bear saying goodbye to the one thing that’s been making him happy lately.

 

“I can’t.”

 

“Maybe you could stay in touch and stay friends you know. You don’t have to pretend he never existed, that’s a bit drastic.” Luke explains, unwrapping his sandwich to wait with Louis for his drinks.

 

“Yes I have to. I’d rather pretend he never existed than admit he is out there and I’m not with him.” Louis replies with reddening eyes and he has to pinch his lips together just in case he starts sobbing.

 

A few seconds pass before one of them speak again. The lady comes back with Louis’ beers and he doesn’t wait to open and drink the first one, forcing Luke to pay for them. He downs the alcohol so fast he almost falls from the stool trying to tilt his head back quick enough.

 

“D’you have plans for when we’re home ?” Luke asks, avoiding taking the second beer can away from Louis’ hand. Louis needs way more to get drunk, he’s just trying to feel uncomfortable to stop thinking.

 

“I’ll probably crash at my mom’s until I find a flat, look after the twins, hang out with Stan…” Louis sighs.

 

It’s not that he’s not looking forward to hugging his mom and playing with the girls and taking care of the twins or seeing Stan again, but he feels like something’s just not right. He feels like something’s missing from the picture, and it’s a tall goof obsessed with frozen yogurts.

 

“Jesus Louis, you sound like you’re planning on jumping off a cliff.” Luke mumbles and Louis almost weighs the pros and cons of doing just that.

 

“I’ll be alright.”

 

When Louis is done with one half of his third beer, he feels sick and his bladder is about to explode, but he just can’t move, can’t get off that stool, can’t bother throwing away those beer cans. He just wants to go back to fifth grade and change the destination to Miami or Spain or somewhere deprived of cute boys in pink aprons.

 

He’s trying hard to convince himself that things will be okay, that he’ll move on, that he’s just overthinking it and that it was just a summer fling. He takes a deep breath before standing up and goes to throw away the beer cans when his eyes land on the table next to the bin, and he just really wished the universe would leave him alone.

 

At the table, a little girl is eating a lemon sorbet and Louis can’t help seeing Harry and him fighting for the last bite at that Mexican restaurant. He thinks about the food they ate, the fact that Harry had paid with a smile, the things they had discovered about each other and the way he had tasted the sorbet on Harry’s tongue moments after.

 

“C’mon we’re boarding soon.” Luke shakes Louis’ shoulder and the latter has to blink multiple times to come back to the present.

 

The line is already finishing. Calvin and Oli are grabbing their backpacks and walking towards the gate and Luke is putting his laptop in his bag, ready to board. This is it, Louis thinks. It’s all over now. The long afternoons at the beach, the bright sun – and no, not that one – the loud reggae music on rooftops, the all-nighters spent talking under covers…all of it is now behind and it’s time to get back to regular life.

 

Louis is glad he’s not sitting next to Calvin to hear him curse at his screen or next to Oli and his snoring. Luke let him take the window seat and he fastens his seatbelt, hands shaking, heart pounding and ready to burst.

 

The plane is still boarding when Louis digs a hand in his pocket to get his headband but, instead, he feels some kind of paper and pulls it out. He unfolds it and just stops breathing.

 

_Lou,_

 

_I know it’s not much and I know you’ll probably get this in the wash before you read it, but I need to do this anyway._

_I want you to know how much this summer meant to me. You’ve shown me parts of myself I didn’t know existed and I found out parts of you I didn’t know could exist._

_You made me smile and made me laugh, you made me look forward to working during my breaks and you made me enjoy spicy food and late nights._

_I’m not sure where I’m going with this but, I just don’t want to forget. I can’t forget the way you looked at me, can’t forget your hands in mine, can’t forget your lips on mine and can’t forget your voice saying my name._

_I guess what I’m trying to say is that I loved every bit of what we shared and I hope you won’t forget about us. I hope you can read this note and remember every word we shared and every kiss and every touch and everything we felt. And when you feel lonely or sad or just can’t seem to smile, maybe you can just read this, and remember how happy we were._

_So you can keep me inside the pocket of your ripped jeans, and you won’t ever be alone._

_I love you._

_Harry_

 

“Louis ! Louis what the fuck are you doing ?!”

 

Louis can’t hear anyone. He can’t hear Luke shouting his name or let the stewardess tug at his jacket. He’s running, pushing anyone in his way and escaping from that plane. He doesn’t care if his suitcase is in it, doesn’t care if he left his cigarettes in Oli’s bag, doesn’t care if he just threw a plane ticket out the window. He’s rushing to the gate, ignoring the security calling him.

 

He’s running so fast through the hallways he doesn’t know how he’s not panting yet. He doesn’t have time to explain to anyone what he needs to do right now, doesn’t feel the need to, because the more time he spends explaining himself, the less time he’ll spend where he’s heading to.

 

He looks like a madman, red, tears flooding his cheeks, head searching the one sign that’ll get him out of there fast enough. He finally spots the cabs and realizes he doesn’t even know the exact address. Should he drive to the shop ? Should he just drive to Venice Beach and search him for hours ?

 

_It’s known as The Butterfly Hills, that’s why I got that moth tattooed right there !_

“The Butterfly Hills please !” Louis shouts and the driver looks puzzled but nods and starts driving.

 

After about forty minutes, they finally get to the foot of the Hills and the driver is about to tell Louis that he can’t go further because it’s a secured property, but Louis is already opening the door. He throws thirty bucks on the seat because it’s just all he had in his pockets and sprints up the hill. It’s getting darker and there’s no one in sight but he can’t think about anything other than getting to that wooden door.

 

It takes him about half an hour, four breaks, and three squirrels mistaken for serial killers, but he eventually finds it.

 

Just when he spots the large green gates to Harry’s house, he feels a water drop on his head and lets a loud ‘fuck’ escape before it’s pouring rain on him. It hasn’t rained in the two months he’s stayed in California but of course it starts flooding when he needs to walk in mud. He cusses one last time before sliding his hoodie over his head and runs through the open gates – and yes he thanks God because he’d rather be soaked but have open gates, so it’s not all that bad.

 

When he reaches the door, the Yves Saint Laurent kind of sneakers Harry had gotten him are covered in mud, his hoodie doesn’t serve as protection in any way, and he can barely see with his fringe in his eyes. He rings the bell anyway, eager to just _say it_ back.

 

“Hiya- wait…where’s the pizza ?” A blonde guy with a navy blue and white striped shirt and blue skinny jeans answers the door and Louis feels his heart drop just a little bit more.

 

“Um…what ?”

 

“The pizza ? For Niall Horan ?” And Louis just smiles because this guy is Harry’s friend and not some random bloke so it’s just all very comforting and there’s no need to get all dramatic.

 

“Sorry mate I’m not delivering any pizza…I’m…Is Harry here ?” Louis has no time for explanation and he’s jogging on the spot hoping that guy will let him in because he really has no will to get down that hill in the rain and dark night.

 

“Depends…Who are you ?” Niall raises a brow and Louis really doesn’t have time for chit chat.

 

“Louis. Please just-“

 

“Oh god. Come in ! I thought you were supposed to leave today ?” Niall is leading him inside and Louis is glad Niall knows who he is and that he isn’t getting a door slapped in his face.

 

“I was but I…I just…I couldn’t and…” Louis is stuttering, sweeping the room with his eyes to spot Harry.

 

“I get it. He’s in the living room. Go on.” Niall smiles and lets Louis go alone. He smiles back and nods before taking a last deep breath and nervously walks towards the white couch, where he listened to his own thoughts sung by The XX that one night.

 

When he sees Harry, crying, stretching an arm calling for his friend, but freezing at the sight of this mess in muddy sneakers and soaked hoodie, there’s only one thing he can say, and that’s the one thing he’s been wanting to say all this time.

 

*********

 

 

“Louis ! Stop ! No !” Harry is screaming so loud he’s going red. There’s no guarantee he’ll ever be able to breathe again. It’s like his chest is being ripped apart and he flinches every two seconds with every pinch.

 

“It’s not my fault you’re that good to bite Harold.” Louis simply says as if it’s an acceptable reason for leaving dozens of marks all over Harry’s hips.

 

They’re tangled in a mess of blankets and pillows and Louis doesn’t really remember when they decided getting their head at the foot of the bed was a good idea, but he’s definitely rolling with it. He doesn’t even know which limbs are his or how long they’ve been isolating themselves from the sun, but he’s not ready to find those answers yet. He’s just ready to leave one more mark on that tanned silky skin.

 

Harry is squirming under him, giggling and biting the tip of his tongue when Louis kisses the marks he’s made. When he finally stops, he raises his eyebrows in victory and smirks and Harry shouldn’t be this happy to get his skin bitten, but there’s a lot of things someone shouldn’t do that Harry does so it really doesn’t matter anymore.

 

Louis is lazily lying on him, not getting an inch of him out of touch. He folds his hands on his pecs and just looks at him through his lashes with a fond smile. He looks at this beautiful boy and the pink glittery stickers glued on his face – smiling at the thought of how they got there. He looks at those dimples and wonders how deep they actually go, and he looks at the loose fringe across his face and gently sweeps it on the side to admire more of him.

 

“You’re really beautiful Harry.” Louis mutters behind his folded hands.

 

“You’re really beautiful too.” Harry says back whilst stroking Louis’ bicep. He has that shy and adoring smile that makes only one dimple show.

 

“And I love you.” Louis adds, resting his head on Harry’s chest in the right angle to still watch him.

 

“And I love you too.” Harry giggles, not because it’s funny to say, but because it’s been the tenth time Louis’ said it as if he can’t believe just how much he loves him.

 

They stay in silence again when Louis fully turns his head to hear Harry’s heartbeat and feel his chest rising and falling and feel his breath in his hair and just keep his cheek warm against that human sun. He starts chuckling after a while and buries his head in Harry’s abs, making the latter laugh as well, because they’re apparently the same person so if one of them laughs the other one obviously has to.

 

“What’s so funny ?” Harry finally asks when Louis sighs.

 

“I should be driving back home right now. I should be on a different continent and I should be looking for a job.” Louis is not too sure why he’s smiling because it doesn’t sound like a good thing, but the situation is pretty funny to him. He literally ran away from that plane like it was on fire and left his friends without giving one look back.

 

“Yeah. But you’re here. And I’ll sound selfish, but I’m happy you’re on that continent, in that city, in that house, on _that_ body.” Harry says, pointing at himself with a grin and Louis already knows he’s made the right decision.

 

“I’m happy about that too.” Louis whispers and kisses Harry’s butterfly. He leaves a chain of kisses along his collarbones, brushes his lips on his nipples and finally crawls up Harry’s chest to press a light kiss on his lips. Harry lets him, barely kissing him back, just enjoying Louis’ lips touching his. Louis pulls away for a second and bites a smile back at the sight of those ridiculous stickers on Harry’s face and can’t believe he let him put them on to “look pretty for their special night”.

 

And it was indeed quite the night.

 

 

*********

 

 

“Are you sure ?” Louis whispers, asking it more to himself than Harry.

 

It’s not that he’s not ready for this, it’s not like he hasn’t been thinking about it for ages; but he’s laying on top of that one person that made him jump off a plane, run in an airport, climb a hill, and say the words he had been too afraid to let out, and it’s just bloody overwhelming.

 

Harry nods nervously, slightly shaking as he brings his hands to tuck Louis’ fringe on the side to look at him properly. The look on is face is so innocent and pure and honest and Louis just doesn’t want to break him. He’s careful to be gentle when he sinks down onto him, opening his mouth with the tip of his tongue. They kiss slowly, so slow it feels like the world has stopped moving, time has slowed down and their breaths are endless. The only sound is the one of their tongues licking and sucking each other and it’s a sound Louis can’t get over.

 

Louis has to fight himself to get away from Harry’s lips and kiss him all the way to his inner thighs. He stops at his nipples, licking around them, tasting the warm skin before slightly sucking, rubbing his thumb under his moving tongue with Harry’s hand in his hair. He’s pretty sure Harry can hear his tongue leave a track of saliva, and it somehow makes it so much better.

 

He kisses every corner, every birthmark, every little things that make Harry’s body his. He takes forever to get past those leaves inked on his hips, squeezing his adorable love handles before biting right into them. He eventually gets to Harry’s thighs, kissing them, biting on them, and wrapping them around his waist, sliding his hand along them, just stroking with his fingertips. He admires the way Harry sucks in his stomach to not move too much, and leans down to kiss every inch of his thighs again whilst stroking his skin, making his fingers dance and match the pace of his lips.

 

He kisses him just a few more times, carefully creating a friction between them, grinding the best way he can without passing out from the feeling of Harry’s hard cock under him. He reaches down, making sure Harry stays this hard long enough to admire how big he is.

 

When he starts begging for more, breath cut short and all, Louis grabs the lube next to him and covers his fingers before locking their foreheads, breathing into Harry’s mouth as he rubs  them around his hole, waiting for him to react.

 

When Harry squints, Louis slides one finger in, thinking about a way to make this boy cry from pleasure. He brushes the edges and slides a second one, taking it painfully slow and just painfully well. He twists his fingers inside and takes his time opening Harry up enough to take all of him. He has to focus hard at some point because, he might be fingering Harry, his brain is still throwing random thoughts and his mind goes to that time under the covers when Harry asked him if he could finger guys better because of how often he does that ‘westside’ sign. Louis tries his best not to giggle because, yes, that could be an plausible explanation.

 

Harry already looks ready to scream. He’s tugging at the sheets and if he squints harder his eyeballs will go all the way in. He’s biting his bottom lip aggressively at times and keeps his mouth open to moan right into Louis’. Their chests are rubbing against each other and Louis could swear he feels steam between them because he’s never been this warm. He keeps going with his fingers, just making sure, but also just enjoying the way Harry grips his wrist to push him deeper.

 

“Okay…I’m good. Please…I…just…please.’ Harry whispers the best he can and his voice is deep and raspy and Louis is glad he actually have a sex voice beside the regular one.

 

Louis kneels between Harry’s legs to get the condom and lube and he really shouldn’t be shaking so much. Now is not the time to break the condom, now is not the time to panic and lose his chill. It’s just not the time.

 

Harry must just sense his anguish because he traps Louis between his knees to make him look up, mouthing a “you okay ?” and relaxing a bit when Louis nods.

 

It’s not that he’s afraid or that it’s the first time doing this or that he can’t do it. It’s just so foreign to him to have someone so beautiful inside and out, trusting him enough to not guide him or control him in any way. He’s looking at him with soft and adoring eyes and Louis wonders what he did to deserve this. That’s why his hands are shaking and his heart is racing. Because, out of all people, Harry has chosen him to love, and it just feels really overwhelmingly good.

 

He somehow manages to get it together and guides himself into Harry as if he’s sliding into glass. He’s afraid of being too rough, afraid of being too fast, afraid of risking hurting that boy. But by the noise Harry makes and the look on his face, Louis might be dealing with a masochist. Good then.

 

“Fuck… _Oh_ …Fff-“ Harry can’t stop swearing and Louis’ not sure he will last very long if he keeps going like that.

 

He just slides in carefully at first, checking if Harry is okay, checking if it’s not too much or not enough, and then slowly starts moving in half circles and an 8 pattern, watching Harry whimper and bite his lip too hard trying not to say more, and hold on the bars above his head. Louis can see his knuckles go white gripping that thing and he could get high on this image.

 

“ _Ouh_ ” Harry huffs when Louis thrusts into him once, gentle and testing first. He then speeds up, moving his hips trapped between Harry’s thighs, hands on each side of Harry’s head, maintaining himself above him, up enough to admire all of him. He can see his stomach clench and his teeth destroy his lip and he’s pretty sure that bed won’t have bars after that.

 

“Fuck, Harry you’re so t-“ Louis starts but he’s interrupted by Harry squeaking so high it echoes in the room and reaches his _bones_. He quickens the pace and finds himself pounding into Harry, realizing with each moan just how rough he actually likes it.

 

Their skins are burning and Louis has Harry so tight around him he just can’t believe he’s able to feel this. Harry looks wrecked already, moaning and groaning, sliding in the beige Egyptian cotton sheets trying to get his own hips to match Louis’. His thighs are driving Louis insane wrapped around him like that and the sound of all of this is pure sin.

 

“ _Ouh_ …Ffff-“ Louis finds it adorable the way Harry just says ‘ _ouh_ ’ every time he thrusts into him, every time his hole tightens around him, every time he brushes just a little closer to his prostate.

 

“Tell me how it feels babe.” Louis mutters when he gets his brain to work a bit. He needs to know. He needs to know if Harry is enjoying this just as much as he is. He needs to know if he’s losing his mind like he is, needs to know if his heart is burning, if his legs are numb as well, if his stomach is melting and if he also feels the excruciating need to scream how much he loves him at the top of his lungs.

 

“H-Heaven.” Harry sighs and lets the bars go to dig his fingers in Louis’ back and bite on his shoulder. “Fucking heaven.” He adds, and covers the entirety of Louis’ bum with his hands, feeling every thrust into him, helping Louis get deeper and deeper until he can’t find the strength to talk anymore.

 

“I’ll give you Heaven Harry. I’ll give you Heaven and anything you want.” Louis promises as he buries himself into him, moaning so loud he wonders where the hell this voice comes from. He keeps thrusting until neither of them are able to talk. He’s starting to have a cramp but he just pushes through it because there’s no way he’s stopping there. He won’t stop until he gives that boy a soul crushing orgasm that’ll make him forget his own name.

 

“Lou…” Harry is barely able to speak and Louis takes one glimpse at Harry’s cock to understand. He just has the time to stroke him once and pant ‘ok’ before Harry is covering their chest with cum to the sound of a deep moan and his high pitched squeak that’s somehow the hottest and most adorable sound Louis’ ever heard.

 

Louis only has to thrust a few more times before he’s filling the condom and collapsing on top of him.

 

“I already have it.” Harry pants, breathless when Louis slides out.

 

“What ?” Louis can’t even open his eyes or move his legs and numb hip and he has no idea if they started a conversation he doesn’t recall having.

 

“I already have everything I want. Right here.” Harry whispers and wraps his tired arms around Louis’ back as if to cuddle a teddy bear. Louis nuzzles into his neck and hugs him back, hoping Harry will understand that it means “me too”, because he really does have everything he really wants right here too.

 

 

*********

 

 

“Where are we going ?” Louis can’t believe he’s being blindfolded again with an Alexander McQueen scarf.

 

“It’s a surprise.” Harry says with that mischievous voice that means Louis’ in for either the most extravagant place to make out or a frozen yogurt factory.

 

He jumps when the car hits hard bumps and is starting to think Harry brought him on top of a cliff à la Romeo and Juliet when they finally come to a stop. Louis takes his seatbelt off and waits for Harry to untie the scarf, but hears him open his door and grunts. He’s guided out of the car, falling right into Harry’s arms stepping out of that too-high-for-non-giants 4x4, and lets him walk them to wherever they’re going.

 

“Ok now you can look !” Harry says as he unties the scarf and Louis is blinded by a bright sun and attacked by the sea air through the wind he could feel the second he hopped off the Range Rover.

 

“The beach ? You blindfolded me for an hour because you were afraid I’d see…the beach ?”

 

“Not just any beach !” Harry smirks and leads them to the small shop that’s facing the sea.

 

“Barry !” A man – probably around their age – yells from the other side of the shop. He’s wearing a swimsuit and carrying a surfboard and Louis really doesn’t have any idea what’s going on.

 

“Hi bro ! Louis, this is Liam, Liam…Louis.” Harry introduces the two men and Liam smiles so big his eyes are barely there. They shake hands and Harry wraps an arm around Louis’ waist whilst chatting with his friend.

 

“So, ready to tackle the waves ?” Liam asks Louis and he has to double check to make sure he’s actually talking to him.

 

“Sorry what ?”

 

“You told me how bad you wanted to surf here. You never got the chance because of me so I thought I’d fix that.” Harry explains and the only thing keeping Louis from getting on his knees for Harry right now is the little boy next to them.

 

“You’re the best love.” Louis whispers in Harry’s ear and kisses his cheek before following Liam to change into more appropriate clothing.

 

One thing Louis hadn’t expected when he found out he was going to be surfing, was that Harry would be wearing extremely tight and short yellow shorts he must have grabbed in his car while Louis was changing. He’s walking in front of Liam and him and Louis really can’t focus on what Liam is saying when Harry’s arse is begging for relief.

 

“So you got it, yeah ?” Liam asks and Louis nods, pretending he hasn’t been wondering if Harry would be down for wearing those shorts around the house, or while he sucks him off, whatever.

 

He regrets not listening to Liam when they start diving under the waves. They are nothing near as weak and boring as the ones he surfed on that short family trip to the Caribbean last year. These are powerful, fast, and he can already feel the adrenaline wreck him.

 

Liam makes sure to signal every other surfer when Louis will take a wave and Louis feels a bit out of place getting privileges over locals, but he’s so excited to finally experience Californian waves he can’t even hide his grin.

 

The first one is half a fail and he almost drowns, but he gets confident after the third one and it’s just the best day of his life really. He watches Liam surf as well, taming those waves like a pro, and he applauds him every time. They take turns and chat while waiting for the right ones. Louis is glad he can talk to someone who knows so much about surf. All his friends aren’t really into it and he always has to restrain from talking too much about it.

 

“Thanks again for that mate, it was my dream.” Louis doesn’t want to sound cheesy but that’s just plain truth.

 

“Course mate ! Harry told me how important it was for you and I kind of owe him for life so…my pleasure really.” Liam explains and Louis is reminded that he indeed came with Harry. He looks over to the beach to see him just swim peacefully near the shore, floating and playing with the few children around him.

 

“Can I ask why you owe him ?” Louis doesn’t want to be intrusive but he sort of really needs to know if Liam means he owes him a favour as a friend or if Harry is holding his family hostage in Guatemala.

 

“Well, to be fair, he said I didn’t, but I feel like I do. We met back in uni and I wanted to move to California to be with my girlfriend. He said he was going too and that I could crash at his place since Sophia stayed at her mom’s. Few weeks after that I met up with the friends he has here and one of them told me they needed a surf instructor here. I got the requirements I needed and then, _voila_!”

 

“He’s a nice little fellow, isn’t he ?” Louis says, more to himself, watching Harry throw a random child in the air and catching him before he hits the water.

 

“He is. He deserves the world. Please don’t hurt him, yeah ?” Liam asks with a concerned frown and Louis feels like he’s talking with Harry’s big brother.

 

“I don’t intend to.” Louis confirms and follows Liam when he paddles towards the next wave after a quick nod.

 

They keep surfing for a while and start making their way back to the beach when Louis eyes Harry a little too much so Liam notices just how much he misses him. They playfully push each other coming out of the water, struggling with the strength of the waves pushing them backwards. They burst out laughing when one of them falls and splash water on each other and Louis feels like a five year old but he’s having too much fun to care.

 

When they reach Harry, he’s building a sandcastle with the same little boy he was throwing in the air earlier and Louis wonders if there’s anyone Harry can’t befriend. He’s only half focused on the tower in his hand when they call for him. He looks like he’s pretending to not have been watching them all this time and makes it even more obvious when he opens his mouth.

 

“Done ? Already ? Wow, didn’t even see you there !” Harry says fast, not looking straight in their eyes, trying to chill but failing majorly.

 

“Yeah it was siiiiick ! Can we just come here everyday ?” Louis says happily and the look on Harry’s face is nowhere near excitement.

 

“Was fun surfing with you mate, you come whenever you want !” Liam smiles and throws an arm around Louis’ shoulder but Harry is already on his feet, pushing him away with one swap and angry eyes. No one does anything about it but Louis feels all tingly inside to see this jealous side of Harry.

 

“We can do other things too. Or I can come with you !” Harry almost pouts and it’s just more adorable than threatening.

 

“Of course baby. Why didn’t you come with us anyway ?” Louis asks, even though he suspects Harry wouldn’t be that great at standing still on a surfboard when he can barely control his legs on stable grounds.

 

“Harry’s not really good at surfing.” Liam answers on his behalf and giggles, earning an offended look.

 

“Excuse me Liam.” Harry sounds baffled and ready to prove Liam wrong, but he doesn’t.

 

They go back to the shop with Liam and Louis leading, chatting about the best wave they’ve ever seen and the near death experiences they’ve had and try to ignore Harry grunting behind them. Liam must be very used to grumpy Harry because he just laughs and pinches his bum when he walks past them. Louis’ smile drop then but he tries to stay calm because he likes that Liam guy.

 

“Do you guys have any plans now ? Sophia’s supposed to come and we’ll go have dinner. You up for it ?” Liam asks and Louis would rather go back to Harry’s and sleep for three weeks after today, but he just turns to Harry instead.

 

“Harold ? Up for it ?”

 

“I’m up for it, yeah.” Harry says slowly, grinning at Louis for some reason.

 

“Sweet ! We can just meet there. It’s at the Palm Breeze Harry.” Harry nods and they walk to the Range Rover, leaving Liam to close the shop.

 

“He’s a nice guy.” Louis says as they dig their feet in the sand to climb up the parking lot. “He’s surfed in the most amazing spots in the world I envy him so fucking much. And he’s really good, like, _really_ good. He got the locals to block waves for me like…insane. And he said we could go paddle board next time, that’d be sick. Oh and-“ Louis’ rambling is stopped by Harry pushing him against the car to kiss him, hands strong around his neck, chest glued against him.

 

“Stop talking about him now.” Harry groans and resumes kissing Louis, running a hand in his hair and locking the other on his hip whilst sucking on his tongue. He slides a leg between Louis’ and lifts his thigh to brush his crotch and Louis is just being attacked right now.

 

“Jealous much ?” Louis chuckles in Harry’s mouth, trying to steady himself on his shoulders.

 

“Very much.” Harry scolds and palms Louis briefly before pulling away, death stare still in place. He walks around the car, leaving Louis with a semi and breathless.

 

Louis spends the ride trying to get Harry to relax. He tucks his right hand in both of his and caresses every corner, kissing his knuckles when Harry tries to pretend being mad. He’s supposed to look terrifying but by now he just looks like a sulking child.

 

“You’re such a baby Haz.” Louis smiles and Harry keeps frowning just for effects.

 

“But I’m your baby, yeah ?” Harry asks very seriously, getting his hand out of Louis’ grip to cover Louis’ thigh and massage it, ready to squeeze it if he hears the wrong answer.

 

“Course you are.” Louis reassures him but still gets a squeeze because Harry just can’t miss an opportunity to feel Louis’ thighs.

 

“And you’re really good too. I don’t know much about surf but you stood on that board long enough. And you looked great.”

 

“I’m not sure looking good counts as professional surfing but thanks love. Did you have fun with this kid ?” Louis giggles, mocking Harry just a little bit.

 

“Heyyyy. He was funny. Plus, his dad had left him to chat with a “lady with balloons” and he needed someone to check the water while he built his castle.” Harry is talking as if he was saving the world and Louis can’t hide his fond.

 

“You’re too good for this world Harry.” Louis breathes and Harry just shrugs, probably wishing everyone was just spreading love and caring for each other as they should.

 

They arrive at the venue within fifteen minutes and Louis is glad it’s a little restaurant on the pier because he’s wearing borrowed denim shorts too big for him and a white tank top with his fancy Vans look alike and he’s just not ready to be judged. Harry is still wearing his tiny yellow shorts and Louis is trying to enjoy the sight before he puts his black jeans back on.

 

Harry grabs his jeans from the backseat and starts sliding his yellow shorts down and Louis tries hard not to look because Liam and his girlfriend might wait for them for hours.

 

“I’ll wear them again.” Harry smirks because Louis has failed not looking at him and is almost drooling. He jumps at the realization, slightly embarrassed, and clears his throat before getting out of the car.

 

“I’ll wait for you outside.”

 

“You know you’re allowed to look, right ?” Harry asks but Louis shakes his head because he knows he can but he also knows he’ll be wrecking this boy on the backseat in the middle of the parking lot if he does. So he gets out anyway.

 

They walk towards the restaurant when Harry has put on his jeans and buttoned his black and pink flamingo shirt halfway. Louis is underdressed next to him but Harry’s not wearing any shoes so it’s not that bad. Harry basically only owns boots and sports shoes and Louis just really needs to get him casual ones. You’d think a wealthy guy would have enough shoes for every occasion, but leave it to Harry to only have boots in a city where it’s hot most of the time.

 

They’re dragging their feet along the pier, bumping into each other a few times before Louis locks his little finger with Harry’s and finally deciding on fully intertwining their fingers together. Harry’s hand is so much bigger than Louis’ but it feels secure and warm there and he gives up trying to be the one holding his baby because maybe Louis is Harry’s baby just as much as Harry is his.

 

As soon as they enter the restaurant, a man wearing a polo with the restaurant’s logo on it greets Harry with a hug and Louis wonders if they’ll ever have to pay for their food.

 

“Good to see you man, how’s it going ?” The man in the blue polo chants and Harry nods and smiles.

 

“Good, good. Hey, I want you to meet Louis. Louis, this is Paul.”

 

“Nice to meet you sir.” Louis shakes the man’s hand and scoots a bit closer to Harry when the latter rests his hand on his lower back as if to claim property. In a nice way though.

 

“Happy to meet you Louis !”

 

“Congrats on the child by the way !” Harry pats the man’s shoulder who lights up instantly and hugs Harry one more time.

 

“Thanks buddy ! Liam and Soph’ are already at your usual table, you know the way !” Paul announces before nodding towards Louis and fleeing to the kitchens.

 

“He’s like a second dad to Liam and I. We’d go there every single day for their chocolate fries so he sort of adopted us and refuses that we pay a single penny.” Harry explains and Louis is both touched by the story and disgusted by the idea of chocolate covered fries.

 

“So you just introduced me to your adoptive father ?” Louis jokes but Harry turns to him with a serious expression.

 

“Yes I did.” Louis doesn’t have time to react because Harry has already left his side to hug Sophia.

 

“Hi, nice to meet you.” Louis says politely to whom he figures is Sophia. She’s a beautiful woman with rather long dark brown hair and perfect teeth. She’s wearing a black dress floating in the breeze and it makes her look like a goddess. She pulls Louis in a tight embrace and he’s starting to get overwhelmed by the warmth of people here.

 

The evening goes by with stories of Liam and Harry trying to fit in in California and learning how to survive and respect locals and traditions and the foreign laws and it’s way funnier than it should be. Sophia also explains how she got a job opportunity as a fashion designer intern in LA and how Liam lost it trying to stay in England but finally decided to join her a year later. She’s very interesting and sweet, but what is actually striking is the way Liam looks at her when she talks. He smiles and caresses her hand and is absolutely mesmerized by every word as if he doesn’t already know the story. Louis’ literally seeing love and that’s just the perfect excuse to hold Harry’s hand under the table.

 

“C’mon Lou, you have to try it !” Harry begs, waving a chocolaty fry in Louis’ face who’s pursing his lips together like a kid refusing to eat his greens.

 

“It’s actually really good !” Liam says even though Sophia is shaking his head and mouthing ‘NO’ to Louis when Liam doesn’t see her.

 

“Please. Do it for me ?” Harry says with puppy eyes and a pout and that’s all Louis needs to eat that thing. He would do anything with that and Harry knows it. He knew it the second Louis agreed to try a green smoothie, even though he spat it all out afterwards.

 

“So ?” Liam is waiting for Louis’ impression just as excitedly as Harry, and Sophia looks done with the both of them.

 

“It’s…okay…” Louis says, making a funny face trying to process the combination. It’s not so bad but he made such a scene explaining how wrong this is he just can’t admit defeat.

 

“Oh shut it, you love it don’t you ?” Harry smiles because he knows the “you’re right but there’s no way I’m admitting it” face all too well.

 

“It’s not as bad as I thought.” Louis gives in and actually reaches for another fry.

 

“Get in !” Harry exclaims with all the joy in the world and Louis could order a lifetime supply of those fries just to see that look on Harry’s face.

 

They make plans to hang out with Liam and Sophia again and walk back to the car, enjoying the wind and the few lights along the pier. Louis feels like he’s dreaming and has to close his eyes for a few seconds and reopen them to make sure he’s not actually asleep right now. He’s strolling on a gorgeous pier with a gorgeous man holding his hand and it’s just perfection.

 

Harry must somehow know what he’s thinking because he lets go of his hand to wrap his arm around his waist and pull him into his side, leaving a soft kiss on his cheek. Louis has never been the kind to let himself go and let himself be vulnerable or even let a guy hold him like that. But it feels so good and natural he sinks into Harry without hesitation. He wraps his arm around him as well, and they keep walking as a single person.

 

When they reach the car, Harry opens Louis’ door, ready to give him a hand to climb, but Louis brings his hand behind Harry’s neck and pulls him down, pressing their lips together. He loves how they don’t need to do more than just smacking their lips together to show their affection. Louis could spend days, weeks just holding Harry’s hand and he’d still feel his whole body heat and shiver the same.

 

Harry gives one last chaste kiss before cupping Louis’ cheek and stroking his bottom lip with his thumb to explore his mouth. Louis is gently pushed back against the car, hands buried in Harry’s hair as the boy swallows his breath and tickles his jaw, and sucks on the tip of his tongue. He leaves one peck on his nose before going back to Louis’ mouth and Louis doesn’t know if he wants to palm him or buy him flowers, or both.

 

He makes his mind when Harry drags his hands from Louis’ lower back to his bum and squeezes gently, slowly massaging his arse whilst pulling him in, just to make sure Louis knows how hard Harry is getting.

 

Louis doesn’t even know what to focus on, the giant hands caressing his bum, the plump lips sucking on his or the fact that Harry is moaning into his mouth just by squeezing his ass. He gives up trying to choose one touch to pay attention to and grips Harry’s jeans and boxers’ on the waistline. He digs his fingers in whilst brushing his knuckles against Harry’s pelvis and he really just wants them off.

 

“I have a house. We should go there. Now.” Harry suggests between kisses but Louis can’t stop making out now. He can’t stop his dick from twitching and he can’t let Harry keep his pants on for the next whatever how many minutes it takes to get home.

 

“You also have a car.” Louis whispers and he doesn’t need to argue further because Harry has already opened the back door.

 

He helps him climb in and Louis had never seen someone undress that fast while making out. He does the same and tries to keep calm when Harry starts stroking himself at the sight of his freed cock and maybe it’s not acceptable to call for God in such situation but he really needs some help not dying right now.

 

“What do you want me to do Lou ?” Harry is pleading, sitting on one leg and panting, eyes shining and ready to get Louis the fucking _moon_.

 

Louis looks at him surprised, unable to comprehend how this boy is real and naked in front of him, just waiting for Louis to give him orders and wreck him completely.

 

“Fuck Harry, you can’t say shit like that.” Louis is helpless, he can’t deal with such perfection, he can’t cope with the way it makes him feel and if Harry doesn’t stop he’s going to throw a ‘marry me’ within seconds.

 

“But I want to do anything you want. I’d do anything you want.” Harry is whining and Louis just needs him to shut up before he gets on his knees for something other than gagging on his leaking cock.

 

“Turn around, on your hands and knees. I’ll do something for you.” Louis instructs and doesn’t need to repeat anything because Harry is already making the most of the space in that car and letting his hair fall down when he drops his head. He’s rocking back and forth in the air and Louis just really can’t deal because his bum is exposed and perky and perfect and it’s all too much.

 

“Please Lou !” Harry whimpers and Louis has to gulp before he finally gets his focus back and sits right behind him.

 

He caresses Harry’s bum gently, walking his hands that look tiny compared to Harry, and squeezes, just for revenge, and a little bit of pleasure, but that’s only for him to know. He kisses each cheek and bites and sucks and Harry is jerking himself off just on that. Louis quickly sweeps his hand away and taps his bum to scold him. He tries to ignore how Harry whines because he can’t lose focus right now.

 

He starts slowly spreading Harry’s bum cheeks and rubs his thumb on Harry’s hole, earning an ‘ _ouh_ ’ and banging on the door. Harry literally just banged his head on the door and Louis really wants to giggle but he has other things to do first.

 

He grips Harry’s cheeks strongly enough to make room for his tongue and licks one long trail in a painful pace, taking his time circling it on the rim. He leaves a few kisses before opening Harry up just a little bit more with his hands and doesn’t warn before getting his tongue in, closing his eyes as he tastes Harry and enjoys the feeling of his hole clenching around his tongue.

 

“Oohh…That’s…ouh…ffff….huhh…” Harry is unable to not make noises and Louis is thankful because it makes him eat this boy out with a passion.

 

“You like that ?” Louis asks, breath hot against Harry’s rim.

 

Harry just nods vigorously, hair flying all over the place and probably choking him. Louis gets his tongue back in, this time with a finger, and is greeted by Harry rocking back on his face with a whispered ‘sorry’. Louis chuckles, a breathed laugh barely audible, and resumes fucking Harry with his tongue.

 

“Tell me how it feels.” Louis asks, pecking the boy’s arse and massaging his hips, checking the pre come leaking on Harry’s expensive leather seat.

 

“Feels like…feels…” Harry is panting and Louis thinks he might pass out but that’s the result he was going for so it’s all good.

 

“I can’t hear you.” Louis whispers and bites Harry’s cheek before sliding his tongue in again, stroking his rim, exploring him better than he ever has explored anyone in any way.

 

“It feels like the peanut butter cup yogurt…Feels like…I’ll…pass out.” Louis is not sure how this isn’t weird but hot because he knows just how much Harry enjoys that flavour and he’s glad to know that weird boy might literally see stars.

 

“And how does my tongue feel inside of you ?” Louis is pushing but he knows Harry loves talking and he knows how much he’s having the time of his life by the loud groan and second bang of his head.

 

“I wish I…had you inside of… _ouh_ …me all the…time.” Harry is struggling and Louis is having too much fun, and so is his cock to be honest.

 

Louis goes back to wrecking Harry with his tongue for a while and unexpectedly starts jerking him off at the same time, making Harry scream. Harry _screams_. It’s not the choked ‘ _ouh_ ’ or Louis’ name or a simple but effective ‘yeah’, it’s a long and deafening ‘AW’ that goes from the deep ends of Hell to the holy highs of Heaven.

 

“Oh fff-“ Louis cusses and feels his hand covered with some of Harry’s cum staining the seat under him. He’s quick to start stroking himself to get some sort of relief after Harry’s scream and is close enough to scream himself when he hears him.

 

“Do it on me.” Harry breathes, unable to move. “Please.”

 

Louis’ not too sure what to think, to do, or who to thank, but he kneels behind Harry and pumps himself through his orgasm, splashing cum all over Harry’s bum, admiring the way it glows on his skin, the way it drips oh so slowly between his cheeks, and he has to sit back down to recover.

 

When Harry dares moving, Louis stops him, grabbing his tank top to clean his bum before he sits and destroys his car cautions just a bit more. He does the same for the stained seat and lets Harry lay down on him, back against his chest. Louis runs his fingers in his hair, trying to soothe the overwhelming sensation Harry must be feeling right now. He’s not talking anymore, he’s just trying to breathe normally again and lets Louis pet his head while he does.

 

“Peanut butter cup and chocolate fondue.” Harry finally says.

 

“What ?”

 

“It’s like peanut butter cup and chocolate fondue mixed together. A delicious sin.” Harry giggles and Louis really doesn’t know how he managed to live twenty-three years without this weirdo.

 

 

*********

 

The next morning isn’t as relaxing and perfect as Louis wished.

 

He’s watching Harry sleep, tucked into his arms, his head right above his messy bun, when his phone rings on the nightstand. He quickly stretches his arm to get it and turn the ring off to not wake Harry up. He quietly gets himself out of his legs and walks outside the room on his tip toes. He waits to be far enough to not be heard before answering and he already regrets taking that call.

 

“Louis ! You better have a great explanation for this !” Jay is yelling into the phone, forcing Louis to pull it away from his ear as he walks into the garden and lays down on the pool bed next to a sketchy looking marble frog.

 

“Mom I-“

 

“And you didn’t even call. I had to call you from the hospital to check if you where dodging my calls and turns out I was right !” Louis is listening to his mom going on a rant and he doesn’t know how he’s going to make her stop.

 

It’s not that he didn’t want to call her, or his friends. It’s just that it felt so good and he didn’t want to ruin it. He knew if he talked to just one person from home, they’d make him reconsider and hop on the earliest flight. And that’s not a thought he was comfortable with.

 

“I’m sorry mom but-“

 

“No. I’ve been worried sick. Do you have any idea what it’s like to wait for your son to come home after two months overseas only to get a call from Calvin saying “oh by the way, Louis stayed in America because of a guy” ? Do you know how terrifying to know you’re in a foreign country far away with a stranger ? What are you even going to do about your visa ? And you were supposed to look for a job and-“

 

Louis is staying mute. He’s never been able to talk back to his mom and even now, when she’s driving him crazy with all those questions, he can’t challenge her. He knows she’s right, she always is, so he just waits for her to finish. “You don’t even have your suitcase with you ! Luke brought it to me today and I don’t even know how you’re-“

 

“Mom I’m fine.” He finally says when her voice goes calm again. “Harry lets me borrow his clothes, I’m safe and I’ll be home soon.” He’s not too sure about the last part but he needs his mom to not stress about him so much.

 

“But why didn’t you call ?” Her voice is just disappointed now, like she can’t believe Louis kept this from her.

 

“I just didn’t want you to change my mind about this.”

 

“But what is this Louis ?” Jay asks and Louis asks himself the same thing. He doesn’t really know what _this_ is. All he knows is that he doesn’t want it to stop.

 

“I can’t leave mom. Not now.”

 

“Then when ? What if something goes wrong ?” Jay is almost begging her son and Louis feels awful for making her this panicked.

 

“I love him mom.” Is the only coherent response Louis can come up with, because it’s the only one he actually has in mind.

 

It might seem cheesy and simple, but it’s the one answer he has for everything he’s done for the past few months.

 

“Promise me you’ll be careful Louis.” Jay gives up trying to talk his son out of this and Louis thinks maybe his answer was enough for once. He also knows he can’t promise that though. He can’t promise being careful and think straight or just think when he’s with Harry. He can’t be reasonable, can’t be responsible when this ball of sunshine is around.

 

“I love you mom. Talk to you later.” Louis simply says and hangs up before his mom says anything else. He goes back inside the house and slides himself under the blanket and wraps his legs back around one of Harry’s thighs and the latter just tightens his grip on Louis’ hand and brings it in his chest so he can’t let go again.

 

They spend most of the day in bed, not talking much, just enjoying each other’s presence. They quit spooning to face each other and just stroke their faces and arms and torsos and laugh when one of them tickle the other. Louis walks his fingertips everywhere he has been a dozen times and swears to do it a dozen more.

 

He notices the light stubble that’s struggling to grow on Harry’s chin and smiles at the thought of Harry trying to grow a beard. His fingers brush against Harry’s perfection just as gently as they brush his acne and the small scar on his arm he got from trying to “fly from a tree” when he was nine.

 

Harry does exactly the same, letting his hands touch every corner of Louis’ body. He caresses his soft tummy and, there was a time when Louis hated how soft he is, but, knowing how much Harry loves it, he really doesn’t care if there are no rock hard abs there. He knows Harry loves his soft skin and the hair on his chest and his thighs and his tiny hands and his curves and just every bit of him. There’s no good or bad, no perfection or flaws, there’s just him and everything that makes him who he is.

 

When they finally get the courage to get up, there’s not much left of the day. They decide on taking a shower together, saving water and all that responsible stuff. They bicker over a shower or a bath but Louis eyes Harry’s Lush bubble baths like the green smoothie and the chocolate fries and he’s not giving in this time. He knows he will eventually because Harry asks him everyday and they don’t smell that bad and looks really pretty, but he needs to pretend he can win at least one argument.

 

The water is too hot because Harry’s warm enough already and Louis is just burning alive. It’s an Italian styled shower and the water is crashing on them like rain so they don’t have to hold anything and Louis is just really thankful for that, because it means he can get his hands all over this tall wet Tarzan and it’s just all he wants to get from life really.

 

Harry lets his hair fall on his face and giggles trying to blow it away, in vain. Louis grabs a chunk of hair and lifts it just enough to see Harry’s eyes, and shakes his head as if to say “you’re such a child Harry” because Harry really is a child sometimes, and Louis loves that about him.

 

He loves the fact that he doesn’t take himself seriously for one second, doesn’t miss an opportunity to laugh, always look dramatically in the distance as he comes up with a new joke that only he will find hilarious. Of course, Louis always laugh because Harry manages to make it funny somehow, whether by laughing too hard before the end or by making his “but wait it’s actually hilarious in my head” face. Or because he just loves him this much.

 

Louis reaches behind Harry to grab the shampoo and doesn’t wait for Harry to tilt his head to pour it on his hair, massaging his scalp as soon as Harry turns around. He’s probably working his abs right now trying to fit Louis’ height, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He rinses the foamy hair and slightly combs it with his fingers before tapping Harry’s shoulder so he can straighten his back again.

 

Harry then unhooks the loofa from the shower wall and spreads a good amount of shower gel, smells the mango and passion fruit soap, and sighs happily before rubbing it gently against Louis’ skin, cleaning every inches of him and frowning in concentration just so he doesn’t go to rough. Louis tries hard to focus on the wall to avoid getting too turned on by Harry getting that cloth all over his body, because this is just not about sex. This is about being comfortable with each other and being intimate in other ways than the obvious one.

 

He doesn’t realize he’s not breathing until Harry washes the loofa under the water jet and he lets out a loud breath betray him. Harry tries smirking discretely and Louis pretends he hasn’t seen it to avoid kissing that smile away before he returns the favour.

 

Louis mimics Harry and gets the cloth all over Harry and tries to ignore the strong grip on his writs when he dares stroking Harry’s inner thigh. He smiles at the thought of Harry wanting this to only be about subtle intimacy as well, seeing how he’s digging his teeth in his bottom lip with his eyes closed.

 

They let the water pour above them after that before turning the shower off and stepping out, wrapping a towel around their waist and dragging the rag under their feet to the sink to avoid getting water everywhere. It turns into floor surfing and Harry trips over his own feet and catches himself on the counter and Louis just bursts out laughing, hoping he just never leaves this happy place.

 

They get out of the bathroom after what seems like an eternity and decides on pizza and movies in the mini theatre. Louis makes a scene testing out every single leather chair and climbs above them, turning the fancy room into an amusement park, and Harry can’t stop holding his stomach cry laughing.

 

They finally settle front row but end up sitting on the floor because the chairs are single ones and there’s no way they’re not touching every second of the day.

 

“That’s not a pizza Harold.” Louis rolls his eyes when Harry opens his box, revealing a salad on dough. He went for the ‘Garden special’ and it really does look like a garden.

 

“It is. It’s a healthy one.” Harry frowns, only half offended because Louis does that cute thing where he’s trying to mock Harry but can’t stop smiling fondly, and Louis really needs to work on that because Harry could probably destroy him any way he wants.

 

“Mpf alright” Louis puffs, raising his eyebrows and pouting with his sassy roll of eyes before attacking his own double pepperoni pizza.

 

They eat whilst watching Love Actually and then grab a blanket to lean against one of the chairs, limbs tangled, Harry snuggled up into Louis’ side so he can pet his hair. He rants about every scene but still loves every part of the movie.

 

They change it to The Notebook right after Harry explained how it’s the perfect movie for the first date because it’s just plain romantic, and insists putting it on even after Louis reminds him that they’re way past the first date.

 

Louis can’t hide his love for this kind of movies when Harry catches him tear up at the end and he wipes his cheek with his thumb and Louis’ glad Harry did because his arm is too numb under Harry’s head.

 

They stay there, even after the credits end and it’s back to the DVD menu, and they let the theme song echo as they kiss and whisper how much they love each other and how spicy that pepperoni was and how Noah is not real because he just can’t be.

 

“My mom called this morning.” Louis says after a silence has settled and Harry is lying on his chest, making him breathe in his curls.

 

“And ?” Harry asks, sounding a bit scared of the answer.

 

“Let’s just say she’s not too happy about me staying in America for ‘a guy’.” Harry doesn’t say anything and Louis wonders if he’s offended so he takes his hand and kisses his palm. “I am though.”

 

“But she’s your mom. I don’t want you to fight with your mom because of me. Maybe I could talk to her ? Maybe she could come over and spend some time with us ?” Harry is talking fast – a rare event – and the guilt in his voice is painful.

 

“Don’t worry babe. She’s worried but not ready to hop on the next plane to come get me.”

 

“But I don’t want her to hate me.” Harry mumbles and tucks Louis’ hand under his cheek to lay his head on it with a pout. There’s a rather long pause before he speaks again. “What is she afraid of ?”

 

“Expired visa, missing suitcase, job interviews…”

 

“Fuck, I hadn’t thought about that. Do you think they can just barge in and make you leave the country ?”

 

“Don’t know…probably yeah.”

 

“And you didn’t tell me you had job interviews ! I wouldn’t have let you stay !” Harry is starting to sound like a concerned mother and Louis really doesn’t need a second one.

 

“Ok Harry calm down, for all they know, I left the US when I checked in at the airport and those job interviews don’t matter as much as you.”

 

“But they do. I don’t want you to wake up one day and hate me because you missed an opportunity staying here.” Harry says as he sits up, leaning on the seat behind them.

 

“I won’t. I just…” Louis sighs. “I’m not ready to deal with it yet okay ?”

 

“So you stayed to run away from it ?” Harry asks in a low voice and Louis can hear he’s hurt.

 

“No Harry of course not. I stayed for you.” Louis takes Harry’s head in his hands and looks right into him to show how sincere he is, even though it might be slightly true.

 

Harry must sense it because he tilts his head as if to make Louis be a hundred per cent honest and Louis wishes he hadn’t told him about the phone call.

 

“Okay, maybe I was also glad to be away from home for the next months but-“ Louis stops himself. He doesn’t know what comes after that. He doesn’t know how to make sense.

 

“I get it.” Harry is frowning and using a dry tone and it’s just terrifying because Harry is just never angry, it just doesn’t happen.

 

“I just thought staying here a bit longer would…I don’t know.”

 

“When’s the job interview ?”

 

“Next week.” Louis is staring at Harry the way he would a time bomb. His jaw is clenching and his eyes are dark and his fists are gripping the hem of his shirt as if to contain himself.

 

“Why did you stay Louis ?” Harry asks, not looking at him.

 

“To be with you.”

 

“Why did you stay Louis ?” Harry asks one more time, waiting for another answer.

 

“I wanted to keep dreaming for a bit.” Louis finally admits.

 

It’s not that he didn’t think about it. He knows why he stayed. He knows himself too well. He’s a pro at avoiding what he’s afraid of. He dodged Harry’s calls when he didn’t want to admit his feelings, dodged his family by going to California when his mom announced she was getting married again, got drunk that night at Charlie’s when he saw the familiar number on his phone for the tenth time. It’s what he does, he avoids, flees and lets his priblems exist without him.

 

When he read Harry’s note, he just saw a way to escape it all, a way to be happy and pretend his world isn’t crashing outside Harry’s bedroom. He’s managed to not think about his mom introducing another man in his life, about his friends making him regret who he is, about his dad trying to contact him again after twenty years of silence, about the terrifying future that awaits where he would no longer be able to goof around and act like a reckless teenager. He just thought staying there would make all of it disappear. But it’s just not how it works.

 

“Am I just a distraction then ?” Louis can hear Harry’s holding back tears and he just needs to hold him tight enough to squeeze the doubts out of him.

 

“No ! Look, I hopped off that plane because you’re everything I want and I can’t think about spending a day without hearing about weird frozen yogurt flavours or without playing with your hair or without you holding on me like a koala. Me avoiding things at home doesn’t change that. I promise you.”

 

“Why are you so afraid of facing all those things ?” Harry seems to understand where Louis’ coming from and calms down a bit and Louis can breathe again.

 

“I don’t know. It just gets a bit too much sometimes. I’m just not sure I can handle all of it by myself and it’s just bloody overwhelming.” Louis never talks about how he really feels but it’s just so natural and easy to open up to Harry he can’t seem to stop and he’s vomiting words. “I feel like, if I just ignore it, it’ll go away. I know it’s still there but, I just can’t cope. I don’t want to talk to the man who abandoned me and pretended I didn’t exist, and I don’t want to go back to a house with so many memories I want to forget and I sure as hell don’t want to show up to a meeting that might mark the start of the end. I can’t face all of that. And being with you, I just…I forget that life isn’t perfect, because you make it seem like it is and I just…I’m sorry.”

 

Harry doesn’t say anything. He pulls Louis on his chest and lets him cry. He holds him tight as he cries his worries and his fears and all the things that’s been strangling him for a while. He hugs him hard enough to make sure Louis knows he’s not alone, that he’s protected now and doesn’t have to crumble because Harry’s here, ready to keep all his pieces together when he can’t.

 

“One day, when I was nine…” Harry starts talking when Louis calms down and just sniffles in his shirt. “…I went home early from school. I was excited because it meant I could watch my favourite cartoon at the time. I just ran to the TV, didn’t even check if someone was home. In that episode, a superhero was trying to save people and was flying everywhere trying to fly them to somewhere safe and remote from all the evil that was happening.” Louis’ not too sure why Harry’s telling this but he doesn’t dare saying anything and is choking too much on his own tears anyway. “He would climb trees and roofs and every building before jumping and flying to save another victim.”

 

Harry takes a brief pause, chuckles, shaking his head like he can’t believe what happened and Louis really wants to know what happened now because the look on his face is nothing he’s seen before.

 

“When it ended, I turned the TV off and heard voices upstairs. I knew my parents were at work and my sister was out with friends. I was obsessed with superheroes at the time, so I thought, if there was a burglar, I could take him. I was scared to death but I still rushed up the stairs and when I opened the door to my parents’ room, I saw…I saw him, with someone who wasn’t my mom. They were kissing in front of the bed and I just…” Harry grins, but it’s more of a “god was I stupid” kind of grin. “I was so confused. I thought she was a villain, that she was trying to hurt my dad. So I walked in and pushed her, with all the strength a nine year old can find, and my dad pushed me back. He literally threw me on the floor trying to protect her.”

 

“What did you do ?” Louis asks when Harry stops talking. When he goes on, his voice is shaking and Louis just wished he could kill whoever provoked this voice.

 

“I ran downstairs. I grabbed the cape my sister had made me for my birthday, and I went in the backyard. I started climbing the big tree we had and jumped. I thought that, if I had my cape, I could fly just like that superhero and save my mom and my sister. All I wanted was to go pick them up and bring them far away from my dad and that woman. All I got was a trip to the hospital, a stupid scar, and a broken home.”

 

“I’m sorry Harry.” Is all Louis can say.

 

“What I wanted to say was that, if I had ran away that day, if I had been too scared to go up there and find them, if I hadn’t found the courage to face my fear and just go there, I wouldn’t have found my dad cheating, so no one would know for god knows how long he was planning to keep this up. And the longer it would have taken, the more painful it would have been. And that’s why you don’t run away from fears. Because they’ll always catch you someday, and you’ll regret not facing them earlier.”

 

Louis is listening to Harry and he feels every word go straight to his heart. Harry, that beautiful, always happy guy, has gone through pain. There was a day when he was betrayed, lied to, broken, but he moved on. And today, he’s smiling and enjoying every part of his life. He faces issues as they come and doesn’t run away. And if someone like Harry can be happy and able to love and forgive and get involved in new things to build a future for himself whilst staying a kind adult child, then maybe Louis can too.

 

“I’ll come back.” Louis says after thinking and rethinking everything Harry just said.

 

He knows he has to go home. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a week or for a year, he has to. He has to answer his dad’s calls, even just to tell him to fuck off. He knows he has to forgive his mom for replacing the men in his life, has to face his fear of growing up and show up to that interview.

 

“I hope you will.” Harry mutters, voice cracked and choked by sobs. Louis turns to straddle his lap, takes his head in his hands and rests his forehead on his.

 

“I promise.” Louis whispers. “I love you.” Harry leans in to peck Louis’ lips, kissing him like it’s the first kiss, kissing him like it’s the last kiss, and Louis fights back tears to wrap his arms around his neck and secure his thighs on each side of him, and kisses him again. He kisses him again because he doesn’t want to know which one will be the last, doesn’t want to find out how a second not spent kissing his lips feels like.

 

“I love you.” Harry says when they pull away slightly. And it’s not an ‘I love you too’, it’s not an answer. It’s a statement. Because Harry doesn’t just love Louis back, he’s in love with him just as much as Louis is in love with him.

 

They spend the night in the home theatre, mainly because they can’t bring themselves to move and start getting closer to the time Louis has to leave. They don’t move, convinced that, if they stay like this, locked as one body and one soul, then maybe time will stop with them, maybe life will stop with them, and they won’t have to worry about not being together anymore.

 

 

*********

 

Five days.

 

It takes them five days to finally find the strength to let go. Five days to say goodbye, just for now. Five days to spend enough time to survive more than a day not touching, not being in the same room. Five days to make the most of everything.

 

They go to the beach and Louis doesn’t even think about surfing because it doesn’t involve Harry so it’s not worth it. They just float in the water, hugging so tight it’s a miracle their skin are still parting. They breathe each other, enjoying every sound and every taste and the sight of what they wish they could wake up to forever.

 

They go to the mall and Harry might spend to much money on whatever Louis eyes, but it doesn’t matter. Louis thinks Harry is certain that, if he buys him enough clothes and shoes and backpacks, then he won’t ever have to wear anything else and will always think about him everyday when he gets dressed.

 

They go to the shop because Harry had closed it all week just to stay with Louis. They meant to open it but instead they fill every cup with every flavour and feed each other peanuts and chocolate fondue and play one last “guess that flavour” before they have to go. Louis might get a bit of chocolate on his nose on purpose but it doesn’t matter because Harry licks it every single time. They somehow engage in a frozen yogurt fight and get it on the wall and slip and fall on each other and it’s a bit painful when Louis lands on Harry’s sensitive parts, but they laugh anyway, and Louis kisses it better so Harry doesn’t mind that much.

 

They spend the last day swallowing every part of each other. They make love in Harry’s bed and Louis fucks Harry in the little studio and Harry sucks Louis off in the kitchen and they just make sure they leave a trace in every room of that house. This way, Louis can be sure that, whenever Harry will step inside his home, he’ll think about Louis moaning on that counter and being bent over that couch and where that wet spot on his carpet comes from.

 

When Harry drives Louis to the airport, there’s an awkward silence after the dozen “but I could come with you !” always taken down by a “you have to run a business Harry” and neither of them can look. They can’t look and see that face that says so much, hear that voice they can feel in their veins. So they stay silent, just holding hands, being together even when their minds are slowly trying to let go from each other.

 

“So…” Louis says first when they walk to the gate where they have to go their separate ways.

 

Harry doesn’t say anything, he just pinches his lips as tears start to fall and he looks up trying to keep them in, but he just can’t. Louis pulls him into his arms and just breathes into his hair one last time, kisses his neck one last time, feels his lips one last time. And it’s even worse than what he had imagined.

 

“I’ll call you everyday. I don’t care if you’re sleeping, I don’t care where you are, I don’t care who you’re with.” Louis rambles and Harry just grips his back, hugging him tight and hard.

 

“You better…We can do this you know. Doesn’t matter how long it takes. I don’t want to be with anyone else. Ever.”

 

“I’ll be quick. I promise.” Louis says even though he knows there’ll come a day where he can’t go back. There’ll come a day where his visa will expire and his life will catch up and he just won’t be able to go back to LA anymore, won’t be able to go back to Harry. And even if Harry comes to see him, then it’ll be short and harder to let him go every time.

 

“I love you.” Harry sobs and Louis tries his hardest to keep those words safe in his brain so he can hear them whenever, even when Harry’s not here anymore to say them.

 

“I love you.”

 

Louis waits until they call his flight even though he hasn’t even entered the security hall yet. He just can’t bring himself to unwrap his arms, can’t get himself to stop breathing into Harry, can’t get himself to be hours away from him.

 

When Harry unties himself from him, it’s like the world is crashing down, his heart is nothing but a raging fire and his eyes are flooded with stabbing tears. He gathers enough courage to pull away, still holding Harry’s hand and he does until just his fingertips are touching him, until there’s only half an inch of their skin touching, until there’s not an inch, not the slightest bit of them touching anymore.

 

He knows Harry might be crumbling the second he moves his feet and turn. He doesn’t look back. He can’t. He knows if he does, he’ll run right back into Harry and push back the flight forever.

 

He reassures himself that Harry understands why he doesn’t turn to wave goodbye. He really hopes so because he can feel him watch his figure shrink in the distance until he can’t tell the difference between him and someone else.

 

Louis has to run to not miss his flight and he’s pretty sure he’s not running to catch the plane as much as he is running away from the magnetic force that’s pulling him backwards to go back into Harry’s arms.

 

When he steps in the plane and everyone’s watching him because the entire plane had to take off later for late passengers, he’s not a person anymore. He’s dragging himself to his seat, doesn’t even listen to the stewardess greeting him and calling him rude for not saying anything back. He drops into his seat, not caring about the woman looking at him like he’s mental. He can’t hear any voices, can’t see anything, can’t feel anything. The only thing he can feel is his heart breaking and turning into a thousand needles poking his chest.

 

He spends the flight thinking about what if’s.

 

What if the plane crashes ?

What if his dad is still a jerk ?

What if his mom’s new guy abandons her just like the others have ?

What if he doesn’t get the job ?

 

But more importantly…

 

What if Harry keeps crying ?

What if his heart doesn’t heal ?

What if he has to stay longer than expected and can’t go back ?

What if Harry tries to move on ?

What if he tries to go back but doesn’t find what he left ?

 

What if ?

 

He stops thinking when the lack of sleep from the last few days makes it harder to keep his eyes opened. He lets himself drift away, tears still spreading on his cheeks because it just hasn’t stopped.

 

He thinks about a sunny morning in sheets of Egyptian cotton, snuggled up in the arms of a tall man with long hair and giant hands, and pretends that’s exactly what he’s going to have when he wakes up. Because there’s just no other way he’d rather wake up than next to the one he loves more than life itself.

 

But it’s okay, he thinks, because he will.

 

It might not be tomorrow and it might not be in a week, but it’ll be someday, and when that someday comes, he’ll make sure Harry is a part of every single morning he will have again for the rest of his life.

 

That’s the one thing he promises himself before falling asleep, hands tightly wrapped around the little note in the pocket of his ripped jeans.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo ?
> 
> I hope you liked it and found it as cute as I did :)
> 
> Please check out the final part !
> 
> Tell me what you thought/liked/disliked and give kudos if you want because it makes my day haha
> 
> xxxxx


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